Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1887-04-28
HIS FIRST GUN.


Rabbits Were Killed.
had been wanting n shotgun fol
three or four ycars-desperately want
ing one. had even gone so far as to
ask my fathers permission to buy an
old musket, worth nothing, although
did not know it at the time. 1t was an
old. rickety, powder-burnt concern.
worth about twenty-five cents; and its
owner taking advantage of my eager
desire to possess gun. caused me to
believe it was worth five dollars. a sum
which agreed to pay. upon condition
that succeeded in obtaining my faith
er's consent.
My father happened 10 be familiar
with guns, and knocked the whole
arrangement in the head. Besides
you are too young to have gum" he
would say, '.you are too small potatoes
to even look at a gun"
Ny boyish hopes were thus prostrat-
ed. only to swell again the moment l
caught sight of a gun. Every time l
saw a man carrying one. was thrown
INTO perfect frenzy.
l always wanted to borrow the gun.
If the owner would not lend. to buy it,
and if it could not be bought. to fire it
OF l always met with refusal l re-
member going one day two miles
through the rain to borrow gun, and
was refused, the owner declaring that
lac wanted to kill '.mess" of squirrels
that afternoon. But afterward learned
that he had no intention of going hunt
ing remember the event wildly as
though it We're but yesterday.
called at the mans house. wet to
the skin. and inquired for j. In
answer to my inquiry. Mrs. j said
he was at the stable watching for
RATS" How my heart bounded! Il
will get to see rat shot," thought as
j hurried to the stable. Perhaps he
will let ne shoot one" and this last
thought quicSened my steps.
Arriving at the stable l opened the
door. entered, and upon Mr.. Us
motion 10 DE quiet. crouched down in
a corner and waited patiently for. at
least, three hours.
/ Was so eager that supposed must
have seen a dozen rats, and kept Won
sGiering why he didn't shoot. although
Mr.. j. declared that he didn't see a
single rat!
have related this in order to illus
trate my eager desire to possess n gun
and make myself horo by killing
something. Every time went to town
i bothered the hardware man. who
would stimulate my desire to the high
lest pitch by long and fascinating
.culogies on his old pot-metal artillery.
So things proceeded in similar man.
ner for three or four years. before my
father consented to get me gun.
Has any one of my readers ever rea-
liked long expectation?
Has any one of you ever obtained a
long-sought-for and much desired
something? Oh! rejoice with me, ex-
perienced realer. for my joy was as
boundless rs limitless rs the ocean cur
rant
/ was so wild. SO enthusiastic that l
could think and talk OF nothing but
the coming gun, which had been
ordered, and was. supposed. already
on the route. Ny father feared my
brain had become unbalanced. and
threatened to revoke his promise. which
greatly alarmed and quieted me.
He told me that was too eager; that l
was expecting too much; that l was do
ing to much Dragging; and he predict
ed that I would be unsuccessful in the
art of cunning. OF course all my COM
panions were made acquainted with the
fact that was to have a gun.
And what pleasure l experienced in
relating to them an exciting. imagina-
nv chase. similar to those l soon ex-
pected to be participant in!
Well. to be brief. my gun came; but
1t was not as nice as I had expected.
Instead of \ neat. hand, little gun. as
4 wanted. it was q mcaster. weighing
fwelve pou ads. As the hunting sea.
son had arrived. begged that father
would not sent it back. and he con-
scented
A snow was falling on the very day
I received my gun. and had not ceased
at nightfall.
What fun anticipated for the NOR
row. This is happening just right, y
i thought The rabbits will suffer TO-
morrow
Invent to bed early, but was so ex'
cited I could not sleep. / knew every
hour that passed; counted every stroke
.uf the old clock; and when the faith.
fin: old time-piece announced the hour
,of Eve l jumped from my bed.
1 ate breakfast at six that morning,
aud long before the east began t.
>kindle." was out in search Of rab
E1t tracks The snow had ceased fall
ing sometime during the night after i
HAD covered the ground to depth o.
DIX or eight inches The snow va